SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A man who originally pleaded not guilty to starting a massive fire two years ago has now admitted he ignited the blaze that burned 80 structures in Northern California.
Thirty-nine-year-old Wayne Allen Huntsman pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of felony arson in the September 2014 King Fire.
READ MORE: IN PHOTOS: May 2022 'Blood Moon' Dazzles Skywatchers Across The WorldEl Dorado County Superior Court Judge Daniel Proud sentenced Huntsman to 20 years in prison and ordered him to pay $60 million in restitution.
READ MORE: Judge: California's Law Requiring Women On Corporate Boards Is UnconstitutionalThe King Fire burned 12 homes, 68 other structures and more than 150 square miles of land in the north-central Sierra Nevada mountains. It took 300 firefighters and personnel about a month to control.
Huntsman made a video of himself during the fire that District Attorney Vern Pierson says was an attempt to portray himself as a hero.
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